9/13/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Drank with my wife and inlaws on Rosh Hashana. So glad this one wasn't flawed like the last bottle. Slow ox decanted for about 5 hours. Should have done it more in advance, the flavors were silky and beautiful just about the time the bottle was empty. Hope my remaining baker's dozen will be just as great!

9/13/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Second bottle of wine on Rosh Hashana. Went very well with the brisket. Bought 4 more last time it was up on WTSO, very glad I have 5 left.

2/10/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Huge potential on this one. Classic cab notes of dusty dark fruit, graphite and spice. I meant to stock up on this one but didn't get around to it. Before I knew it, it was sold out. But last week during a sale I was able to grab one (and only one) more. Putting it on lockdown with the 555 and 525 for at least 2 or 3 more years. Couldn't get another 502. Oh well I know for next time!

9/10/2015 - oenofail wrote:

This is an interesting wine. Not a daily drinker for me because it is so unusual. I didn't get any of the bright fruits, but there were smoky undertones and a flowery flavor. Nice to try and have but I'd never look to something like this everyday.

9/6/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Another Clarendon single vineyard stunner. Paired perfectly with grilled burgers on the holiday weekend. Only a short decant and it was ready to go.

Cherry cola, chocolate syrup and sweet raspberry. Silky smooth and drinking so well at this age. Fire up the grille and pop one of these bad boys if you have them. Probably can last a few more years but can't imagine it can get much better than this.

9/6/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Terrific summer white. So different than the usual summer fare, California chards, German Rieslings and Australian Sauv Blanc.

Notes of lemongrass, kiwi fruit, wet stone and mineral. The final drops had finishing notes of spearmint. Fun stuff.

8/30/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Disappointed. I enjoyed my first bottle so much I bought a case when it came back up on WTSO 6 weeks later. This bottle was flawed and undrinkable. Tried it again the second night but had to spit it out.

This bottle was from my second shipment so I'm worried that maybe the case was left in the heat and more bottles will be no good? I hope not because my bottle from the first case was fabulous.

8/3/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Terrific value. As good or better than their CdP right now, although I expect this is more of a wine to drink young versus the CdP that should be aged.

Had a pleasant, pleasant raspberry flavor. I wasn't expecting it to be this good for the price. The bouquet and taste weren't overly complex but with smooth tannins and great flavor this was quaffable by itself or paired with food. Terrific value and great daily drinker, recommeded as a buy if it pops up again.

8/10/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

If you love Aussie syrah/shiraz, you need to buy this wine if you see it.

Enjoyed the 09 Moritz a few months ago with Dad. Liked it so much, I decided to bust out the 07 for his birthday. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but it was a good call!

Drinking it presented some challenges because we were going to a public park so we couldn't exactly use a decanter and crystal stemware. I ran through a vinturi with a strainer and left it in the decanter for over an hour before pouring it through a funnel back into the bottle and vacuum sealing it for the trip.

Had to drink it out of plastic cups to evade the po-po in the park. But guess what? DIDN'T MATTER!! Put this at the top of the list of the favorite wines I have in my cellar.

The nose was unreal. I spent the first 3 minutes just inhaling the bouquet. It was like drinking the wine through my nose. Normally the bouquet is just preamble to drinking the wine, but I could have spent a half hour smelling it and not felt like I was missing anything. Just rich, dark blue fruit notes. Terrific.

Good think I did try it though. The tannins are integrated and amazing. This thing coats your entire palate with velvet and silk and lingers (welcomely) for ages. It is not as much of a "fruit bomb" as many aussie syrahs tend to be, but the fruit is there and it is fantastic.

In a great place now. Not sure it would get even better with aging but all you can hope for is it can stay like this for another year or two. I will buy more if I see it, and I hope my 09s will turn out like this in another 2 years!

8/12/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

I'm not the world's biggest fan of Italian wine but I thought I'd give it a shot when it came up on the sale block because it seemed like a good value.

This is a terrific wine. Nice berry nose with a noticeable flowery scent as well. Very different from what I normally drink but I liked it. Flavors were similar, a vibrant but smooth berry flavor, rosy flowery notes and some coffee/mocha.

Excellent value even for twice the price. I know Italian wines usually age longer than most so I'm looking forward to see how this grows and develops.

5/12/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Agree with previous reviewer. I've liked Maris wines in the past but I wasn't a super fan of this one. Wouldn't buy again unless it was to see if this was just not a good bottle.

8/17/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I wasn't going to drink a second bottle so soon but I had another one upstairs and didn't feel like going down to the cellar. Much the same as the first, very light purple stain on the cork. Paired with ribeye steak w/ sauteed onions and a salad with balsamic vinagrette and gorgonzola cheese. It did a lot better with the food than it did by itself.

Again, I'm hoping that more time in the bottle with the classic 2010 vintage will help turn this into a killer value. However, it was back up on LastBottle for the marathon just now and I didn't feel compelled to get any more even for $9. Time will tell on this one.

8/6/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

When this came up on WTSO, I couldn't believe the ratings based on the fact it was a $12 bottle. Well my friends, believe the hype!

The first night it was ok. I was a bit disappointed based on the previous reviews. Vacuum sealed the second half of the bottle to save it for the future. I wasn't around the second night and was a bit worried it would be gone by the third night, as I had just had a different 05 Tempranillo that wasn't as good the second night.

Wrong! The first sip was amazing. Silky smooth mouthfeel. Blackberry and dark cherry, mineral and wet stone. Soft tannins, long long finish. It got even better after about a half hour, I was wondering how such an inexpensive bottle could make me think about a rating of 93 or 94?

After another hour it fell off, the fruit died out and it got a bit sour. I'm thinking if I was able to reopen it the second night it would have lasted longer. A solid 92. I'd recommend popping this, decanting, then vacuum sealing it and drinking it the second night. A great tempranillo.

8/4/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Echoing other CT notes- I should have bought a case.

Beautiful dark fruity flavors. Blackberry, dark cherry, chocolate/cocoa, earthy mineral. Another CTer noted a "wet flint" flavor, and I totally get it. I didn't get the dill flavor others noticed, but my wife did.

My wife usually doesn't drink red wines either so the fact that she loved it makes it an even bigger winner. I'll look for this again next time WTSO has it up.

Perfectly in the drinking window now. Drinkable right out of the bottle through the vinturi and grows more complex and beautiful after decanting a few hours as well. Can't go wrong with this one, and the $15 price tag makes this one of the best values I've come across.

8/3/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Still young, not quite there yet. However, it's still very good. Delicate rose and berry flavors. Should develop nicely in the next 2-3 years. Got for $18/bottle during a marathon sale. Great qpr for a nice cdp.

8/1/2015 - oenofail wrote:

2010 bordeaux... how could you go wrong, right? Especially for 9 bucks...

Well, I don't quite know what to make of this stuff. First off, popped the cork and it was barely stained. Maybe it's a 2010 but it clearly hasn't been in the bottle very long. Hopefully more time in the bottle will help this stuff. Right now it is very mediocre. A bit of sour cherry flavor and not much else going on here.

8/1/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Popped my second bottle. Tasting notes match my first review. Still mad about this one, I should have bought 3 cases but they were sold out the next day. You could drink this one every night and be happy. For $8/bottle the QPR is so far off the charts there isn't even a calculation for it.

7/16/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I love the Paring GS so I was hoping for more from this bottle. It was good, but you can do better for $22.

7/16/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Was in the mood for an aussie shiraz and didn't want to rustle anything up from my cellar. Picked this up. It was good, but you can do much better for $20 in the field.

5/17/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Drank with Dad for my 33rd b-day. Clarendon Hills may be my favorite producer for shiraz/syrah, and this was my favorite yet! Can't go wrong, buy it if you see it. Wish I got more so I could park them in the cellar to age.

7/1/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Pretty good stuff. Drank over 2 nights. First night was a fruitier nose, palate of sour cherries and raspberry. Second night had more of a jammy feel, I'd call it stewed plums. Not in a bad way. The plum flavor also had the creamy mouthfeel the previous reviewer was noting, but my bottle didn't have overabundant tannins.

I'm looking forward to the next bottle. This being 10 years old already I was hoping for more, but this was still good.

3/22/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Drank at Henry's second birthday party. Didn't have any champagne flutes available so we enjoyed it out of red solo cups. Drank with Dad and mother-in-law. Very enjoyable despite the ghetto beverage containers! The biggest flavor for me was a tart citrus, I pegged it as grapefruit. Dad got notes of what he called "brioche", a definite bread flavor. Dad gave it an 89, I gave it full 90! Although by how much of the bottle he drank, he may have liked it more than the 89 he initially gave after popping the bottle...

3/11/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Obviously drank this too young. Big Cali cab. Beautiful, powerful, luxurious and delicious. Not gonna lie, felt guilty the whole time while drinking it because I knew it was too early. Closed even over 3 nights because it's too young but great fruit and pencil lead notes that should develop and mature over time into a phenomenal wine. Great qpr even at over 20 bucks/bottle from Cam Hughes. Don't drink for at least another 2-3 years, can probably go 6-7 if you're in no rush and have other good wines to drink. I think I preferred the Coombsville, but who can really tell at this point. I'll be stocking up on both, and you should too.

3/11/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Oh man, I'm mad about this one. Bought a bunch of wines from Cam during their Fat Tuesday special. Picked up 5 bottles of this at 8 bucks a pop! Delicious, deep blueberry flavor with some structure behind it! Won't age forever but perfect to drink weekdays over the next 2 years. Went back right away to buy 2 cases and they were sold out!! I guess everyone else was in on the secret too. 4 bottles left, I'll try to only drink 2 more this year and save the last 2 for the next 2 years. I'm not optimistic though because this was a fun one.

Sold out online but if you find it in a store, buy all the bottles you see. #1 qpr I've ever come across.

3/11/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I was hoping for a bit more from this one as I enjoy the Maris wines. Sweet fruity flavor but lacking needed tannins to give it a structured flavor. I find I enjoy Grenache more in a GS or GSM blend and I think this juice would have benefitted with some help from friends. Drank over 2 nights and enjoyed, but went better with food than alone. Paired with marinated grilled chicken first night and grilled skirt steak the second. Enjoyed with the food but felt like something was missing solo. I'll hold some bottles for one and two years of aging but I'm concerned it doesn't have the structure to improve.

3/11/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

When you drink this wine, I recommend opening it a full day ahead of drinking. Pop and pour after running it through vinturi, it was almost undrinkable. Saccharine sweet. It calmed down on the second and third days and was quite pleasant. Today was 60 degrees and sunny in New York after this frigid and miserable winter. Took a walk with my 2 year old son and came back to enjoy a nice white while daydreaming of the beach. Nice succulent flavor, nectarine and peaches. QPR winner at 8 bucks a bottle. Would buy and drink again, but open a day ahead of drinking or else it's like drinking citrusy sugar water!

3/8/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I'm not a huge fan of Zinfandel because of the peppery notes but I love Syrah so this seemed like a good blend to help expand my horizons. The $9 price point didn't hurt either coupled with the high ct score made this a couldn't refuse deal. Raspberry on nose along with a strange smell I couldn't quite place. Palate includes black cherry and raspberry, plus a strange minty astringent flavor that disappeared after an hour of breathing. Almost too sweet in flavor as noted in other reviews, nonexistent tannins. Pretty good especially for qpr, I'll update with notes from second night.

3/7/2015 - oenofail wrote:

This was a great value. Definitely not the prototypical cab flavor you would expect from Napa or other California areas but still good. Got it for only 9 bucks for CH Fat Tuesday special so that helped! Wasn't expecting much based on price but it was nice. Bright, bold fruit the first night, second night the dominant flavor was stewed plums. In a bold way, not a bad way. Solid 87 points. Not complex or subtle in flavor, but a nice deep red. Good this year and next, probably not past that. Recommended for house wine/weekday bottle.

2/20/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Had a glass of this on Valentine's Day at Grappa in Warwick, NY. I loved it, classic Napa Cab flavor. Maybe the best glass of wine I've ever had at a restaurant without spending over $15/glass.

Found it in a wine store the next week. Drank the bottle over 3 nights. Wasn't as impressive this time, maybe the night and the dining experience added something for me initially. I still enjoyed it and will buy more, it should improve with age in the next 1-2 years. Would be happier if I could get it for $20-25 rather than $30 though.

2/2/2015 - oenofail wrote:

This one isn't ready yet. Give it a few more years, but this one seems like it will be a stellar value.

3/2/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

I wasn't planning on drinking one of these so early but I was having Australian lamb chops on the grill so I needed a nice Aussie red to go with it. Perfect pairing! Amazing juice. I'm a big fan of Clarendon so I will re-stock more when WTSO (hopefully) puts it up again. Don't have detailed notes because it went with dinner, but it has all the flavors you expect form an aussie syrah. Deep purple, blueberry notes with a nice dark earthy flavor that I think will emerge even more with age. Recommended.

3/2/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Perfectly drinkable but unimpressive. Better value for the price point out there.

3/2/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Not sure what all the fuss is about this one. The only really discernible flavor I got was sour cherries. Not in a bad way, but it was a very one dimensional wine without much depth or structure. Might improve after a few years but I didn't get much of a bordeaux vibe at all. Can't expect much for $11 but I've had better even at that price point. I'd try one more just to see if this bottle was off; otherwise, I'd pass.

2/12/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Very interesting bottle. 9 years old, yet impetuously young. Drank over 3 nights, decanted twice and multiple vinturis, yet on the third night the tannins were still dominant and it hasn't reach opened up yet!

Great legs on this one. They still line the glass a minute after swirling. A nice fruit flavor but mostly masked by the tannins. Amazing that even on the third night, the tannins on a 9 year old wine will give you cottonmouth! Color is a nice ruby red with a bit of tawny brown, almost like burned sugar.

Best days are still ahead. 3 years? 5 years? Let's drink and see!

1/19/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Great QPR. Got an email about a deal (I forget which website) but I didn't pull the trigger on it. A few days later I saw it on the end of a checkout line at Bottle King. Perfect spot for an impulse buy! Picked it up and I'm glad I did.

Very enjoyable! Strawberry is the dominant flavor but there is some cherry and earth in there as well. Very light wine and the flavors are different from what you normally get from Oregon and California.

Glad I tried, it, next time I see it I'll get some more! Maybe a few years of aging will push it to 90+ (although unlikely the 95 as was claimed by JS).

1/22/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

I have plenty of wine in my house but I stopped by Bottle King on the way home from work because I was in the mood for a big, ballsy cab.

As usual I check the ratings on CT before purchasing. Not only did this bad boy score a 91-92, but it has a motorcycle on the label. Obviously this is exactly what I was looking for!

Drank it over the course of 2 nights. Great classic cab flavors. Graphite, tobacco, dark fruit and earth. Tannins were heavier the first night, but it is a good tannin flavor and texture. May have even preferred it to the second night! Of course the first night it went through the vinturi and decanted for an hour or two.

Will definitely purchase again! I'd love to lay down a few to drink one a year for the next few years to see how it progresses.

1/18/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Cam Hughes, I think, are often consumed too early. Most of the bottles he sells are only a year or two old, and people drink them as soon as they get them and can be disappointed.

This has been sold out online for a while but happened across it in a liquor store so figured I'd give it a shot for 16 bucks. Glad I did! 6 years of aging has done this one well. Not as complex in structure as some of Cam's higher end wines, but this is comparable to a $25-$30 bottle. Blueberry, vanilla and a bit of cherry. Not too much with the tannins at this point.

Not my favorite that I've gotten, but $15 for a pinot of this quality is a great deal! I'd buy more if I saw it again.

2/9/2015 - oenofail wrote:

It's ok. I received this as a Christmas gift from a co-worker, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a bottle like this. So since I had it, I figured why not try it?

Not much of a nose, first night had tannins and a mild cherry/berry flavor. Tannins backed of a bit on night 2 but nothing really profound in the flavor department. I kept the rest of the bottle to cook with. Not because it was terrible, but I have a lot more wine I wanted to drink so I figured I'd move on.

2/6/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

I love southern french reds so when WTSO had this deal, I couldn't pass it up. Bought 4, laid down 3 to age but as usual I had to kill a young one just to see what I had here! First night, ran it through the vinturi and decanted for 2 hours, left the rest in the bottle. Drank well both nights, obviously the second night the dark, smooth fruit and rich coffee flavors came through a bit more as the tannins integrated. Drinking this bottle was definitely infanticide but I'm glad I did anyway, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Drink one if you must now (and I always must try one as soon as I get it no matter what) but wait another 2-3 years for the rest as I think this will reward us with a spectacular experience. 91-92 now, my guess is 94 in 3 years. Great juice!

2/7/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

I normally decant by running through a vinturi and breathing for an hour or two, re-bottling and drinking over 2-3 nights. I always drink a small amount first though, to establish a baseline. As soon as I did with this wine, I grabbed my phone and queued up CT. WOW lastbottle special. First of all, the cork smells fantastic, earthy and woody. The first sip of the GS was alive with blackberry and silky fruit. I want to rate this higher but I haven't even let it breathe yet! So let's see what it can do, I reserve the right to edit this later. Tannins start to coat the tongue and hide the berries after 3 quaffs, but that only makes me look forward to tomorrow nights draught! My only regret now is only buying 4 bottles. This one might tick up to a 92-93 by tomorrow. Definitely shows it's Screaming Eagle pedigree right out the gate!

5/14/2011 - oenofail wrote:

I don't remember this one all that well so I'll defer to Bowmanifesto in this one. Wasted potential, but better than a sharp stick in the eye.

1/6/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I drank this wine knowing it was too young and not fully ready yet, but I was so excited about this one I had to sacrifice one to see what I had. This is going to be an absolutely terrific wine. The first night it was closed, acidic and tannins despite decanting for hours. The second night was similar, but by the third night it became clear that we have something special here. Nose is still tight but we got some plummy and jammy flavors and the beginnings of a silky mouthfeel. It's not a 90 yet, but I rated it that anyway because I think it's going there. And probably beyond. Recommended to buy and hold!

1/8/2015 - oenofail wrote:

It's ok. I've had a few bottles of this, and it's an ok value Pinot but you can do better, even for the low price. Fruity taste with notes of mediocrity. Might get again, might not.

1/10/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

One of my house wines. I've had some other de Loach offerings including their other Pinot, and it isn't particularly impressive even for the price point. The Central Coast juice is special though, especially for the price. This wasn't the best bottle of it I've ever had, but still very good. Nice strawberry flavor with some earth and spice too. Can't go wrong, and soon I'll add a case to my cellar to see what this will do over the next few years (because all I do now is drink it as soon as I get a few bottles).

1/7/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I really, really hoped to enjoy this wine more than I did. It came recommended as a great value buy. I know i drank it young but it decanted for over 2 hours. Didn't even open up the second day, all tannins, acidity and tough mouthfeel. That being said, it's a 2010 Bordeaux so it's (most likely) going to develop into a beautiful wine. Buy it, but don't waste it. Wait at least 3 years before diving in!

4/26/2012 - oenofail wrote:

I don't remember how I got a bottle like this, I think it was a gift.

The good news: it has alcohol in it.

The better news: it's better than a sharp stick in the eye! Although by how much, who can say?

Tasting notes: Bouquet of cheap white wine. Flavor profile: yellow wine. Finish: I'd prefer not to unless it's the only beverage left in my fridge.

1/7/2015 - oenofail wrote:

I'm always more of a red fan than a white fan, so I can get quickly bored with Chardonnay and even tire of Marlborough sauv blanc by the end of the hot summer. So, I figured I'd try something... different (if not weird). Boy am I glad I did. What a bouquet! What flavor! WHAT VALUE! The nose is terrific, lemongrass and a tart sweetness. The taste matches, lemon and peach with green grassy notes, just glides down the tongue. This will definitely be chilling in my fridge all summer, which will be an easy investment as well considering the price point!

1/7/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Jacob's Creek Reserve was my first favorite value wine since 10 years ago when I discovered it in college. Only 3 dollars more than the regular Jacob's Creek (which is only fit to cook with) and you get some of the best bang for your buck out there. The Shiraz is my true favorite, a punch-you-in-the-mouth fruit bomb that somehow also has subtle and delicate flavors and complexity along with it. I gave the reserve Cab a try as well and although not as great as the Shiraz, it was still enjoyable. Blackberry and coffee the major flavors, with some bite that probably would have faded if I aged it longer before drinking or gave it a nice long decant. Overall enjoyable and I'd drink again.

1/7/2015 - oenofail wrote:

Received this bottle as a Christmas present from a coworker. Not something I normally would have purchased, but that is what intrigued me. First day it was completely unremarkable, like a table red you'd find at a chain restaurant. I was somewhat surprised the second day, with a nice strawberry flavor with a silky(ish?) jammy texture. Overall, not bad! Will never be a house wine for me but glad I tried it.

1/7/2015 - oenofail Likes this wine:

Family favorite of the Bowmans. Our house red! One of the best Bordeaux values out there, bold but subtle, can't miss purchase.